LeMFi is hiring a head of compliance in Nigeria to guard its regulatory integrity and local compliance framework.
Reporting to the Managing Director, Nigeria with a functional line to the Group Head of Compliance, you will ensure that as we scale, we remain beyond reproach in our dealings with all regulatory and statutory bodies.
You will have day-to-day responsibility of the Nigerian AML/CFT compliance program. This role offers high autonomy and leadership visibility, enabling you to shape the future of financial services at scale while working cross-functionally with Product, Operations, and external partners to deliver sustainable, market-leading growth.
Responsibilities
- Regulatory compliance oversight, including consumer compliance
- Ensure our products and services comply with the Central Bank Nigeria rules and other Nigerian and global AML/CFT requirements.
- Be responsible for regulatory reporting
- Develop and execute a comprehensive compliance strategy that bridges LemFi’s fast-paced innovation with the rigorous standards of the Nigerian financial landscape.
- Act as the Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO), overseeing robust Customer Due Diligence (CDD), transaction monitoring, and suspicious activity reporting (STR) to the NFIU.
- Serve as the regulatory point of contact for the CBN, EFCC, Nigeria Police Force, Tax Authorities, and legislative bodies regarding inquiries, investigations, or statutory requests.
- Proactively build and maintain a network with Compliance Officers across the Nigerian Financial Services sector to facilitate information sharing and ensure the rapid reporting and resolution of fraud cases.
- Partner with Product and Engineering to ensure new features and onboarding flows are “compliant by design” while maintaining a seamless user experience.
- Lead the implementation of new regulatory requirements into the business operations.
- Produce regular management information to MD and Global Head of Compliance
- Lead Policy & Ethics: Maintain high-impact policies covering Anti-Bribery, Corruption, and Conduct Risk, ensuring a culture of integrity across all local operations.
- Collaborate with global compliance teams to ensure Nigerian requirements are embedded into group policies.
How to Apply
Required Competence
- A Strategic Guardian: You don’t just spot risks; you build systems to prevent them. You comfortably own the risk register, regulatory deadlines, and regional execution with clear accountability.
- An Expert Translator: You possess the rare ability to translate CBN circulars and legislative updates into actionable business requirements that the Product team can actually build.
- A Master of Diplomacy: You are a skilled communicator and negotiator, capable of navigating high-stakes interactions with law enforcement, government officials, and industry peers with poise.
- Resilient & Rapid: You thrive in the high-pressure environment of a Series B fintech, navigating operational hurdles with the speed required to ensure compliance never lags behind growth.
- A Cross-Functional Unifier: You possess excellent stakeholder management skills, effortlessly aligning Growth, Product, and external partners toward shared commercial success and system reliability.
Qualification
- 5 years experience in senior Compliance or Risk leadership roles within Nigerian fintech, payments, or commercial banking.
- Proven track record of managing relationships and successful examinations with the CBN and NFIU.
- Direct experience handling law enforcement inquiries (EFCC, Police) and engaging with government or legislative stakeholders.
- Deep expertise in the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act and other local financial crime regulations.
- Strong command of AML/CFT frameworks and experience advising on the optimization of compliance software and monitoring tools.
- Relevant professional certifications (e.g., CAMS, CFE, or ICCP) and a strong existing network within the Nigerian compliance community.
- Excellent analytical, research, verbal and written communication skills
- Adaptable to global operational needs and ability to work in a rapidly changing business and regulatory environment
- Ability to thrive as part of a team and be an empowering, constructive and considerate colleague.
The Interview Process
- Chat with a Talent Partner (30 mins)
- Meeting the Manager (45 mins)
- Final Interview & Case Study (5 days to complete + 1-hour presentation)
